


Better Together

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics), Robin War (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 00:45:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7823632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick made the deal to save Damian’s life. He thought that was the end of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Together

**Author's Note:**

> Let’s say Dick had to report to the Court immediately after Robin War, and Damian found out about it not long after. Inspired, a bit, by ‘Happiness’ by Needtobreathe. The Court’s basically fucked now, is what I’m saying.

~~

_Sometimes you leave the ones you love, but if it’s love, they won’t give up._

~~

“You made the right choice.” Lincoln hummed from across the room, watching as Dick slowly put the stylized armour.

“Choice.” Dick snorted, not looking up, securing the sharp exoskeleton talons to his hand. “What _choice_.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t have one.” Lincoln almost laughed. “You could have let that boy die, you know. Then you wouldn’t have to be here.”

“You know I wouldn’t have.” Dick murmured, glancing angrily up through his bangs.

Lincoln blinked. Smiled. “I know.” He conceded. “But still. You _could_ have.”

Dick clenched his jaw. Looked back down at the armour.

“…It looks nice on you.” Lincoln continued. “The emblem, I mean.”

Dick remained silent.

“…It’s like you were _born_ for it.” Lincoln sneered. Dick slammed the last piece of armour on with a little more force than necessary, and looked up defiantly.

“Now what.”

Lincoln grinned. “Now-”

He was cut off by a sound beyond the double doors between them. They both looked towards them as the sounds escalated, and neither needed to see it to know it was a fight.

But before either could move, the doors burst open, revealing one of the Court members – a man in a nice suit and a white mask, bleeding from a gash across his chest that destroyed the front of his suit.

“H-here.” The man gasped, sliding down the door. “H-here for…for _him_.” He looked at Dick, before collapsing to the ground unconscious.

“…Batman, eh?” Lincoln asked the near empty room. “Of course. His most prized son is in danger, and the amnesia magically disappears, it seems.” He chuckled, even as Dick’s gaze lowered, before calling out into the hallway. “Escort him in.”

The sounds died down, though Dick heard the unsheathing of knives. There was the tick of a second before the room was swarmed with masked warriors and businesspeople alike. A murmur washed through the room as they situated around the sides, glancing judgmentally at Dick every few seconds. The body of the unconscious man had disappeared in the bustle.

Dick felt himself hold his breath, as they watched the door. It was dark, but they could hear more footsteps coming.

And Dick let himself hope. He doesn’t know why he did, knew it was near impossible, but he hoped anyway. Hoped Bruce was back, hoped Bruce was there to _save_ him, like he always was.

But when the footsteps got closer, and bodies came into light – Dick’s hope was shattered, and his heart broke into a million pieces.

Because it wasn’t Bruce. It wasn’t Bruce at all.

It was Damian.

Damian, all dressed up in his Robin garb, but without the mask. Or at least, without his mask, without his green domino. In his hand he held a white Court mask.

And as soon as they hit the threshold of the room, one of the Talons trailing behind Damian pushed him forward, and Dick saw red.

“No.” He hissed, stepping forward and looking at Lincoln. “No – you _promised_!”

Lincoln, who was also looking at Damian, slowly turned his head back. There was a grin playing on his pale lips.

“You _swore_.” Dick snapped, already itching to grab one of the knives strapped to his chest. “You said if I did this, he’d be safe! That you and your _fucking_ Court would leave him alone!”

“I did.” Lincoln said with a quick nod. He looked back at Damian. “And I intended that promise.” A pause. “…So what are you doing here, dear nephew?”

Dick rushed forward again. “He’s _not_ your neph-”

“Another step, Richard, and that Talon behind him slits his throat.” Lincoln cut off coldly. Dick froze in his tracks. Lincoln paused, smiled and looked back to Damian. “Sorry for the interruption. You were saying?”

Dick spun around, looking desperately, apologetically, at Damian. Damian refused to look at him, keeping all focus on his supposed-uncle.

“…The deal you made is invalid.” Damian called haughtily.

“Oh?”

“I was never informed of the negation of my own. I was never told of the changes being negotiated.” Finally, he looked over at Dick, and his eyes were furious. “Therefore, your new deal is invalid.”

“Is that so?” Lincoln’s face lit up, like he was amused.

“No.” Dick cut in. “No, it’s not. You said he’d be safe, March, if I stayed. I won’t let you change the deal again. You get me or you get nothing.”

“You do a disservice to our youth.” Lincoln returned almost warmly. “Now, let the boy speak.”

But Dick wouldn’t. He spun around, practically ran across the room, and dropped to his knees in front of Damian, taking that white Court mask from his hand, launching it across the room, and grabbing his elbows.

“ _What are you doing_.” He breathed urgently, shaking Damian just a little. “Damian, you don’t know what’s going on. You don’t know what’s happening-”

“Shut up. I know _exactly_ what’s happening.” Damian growled, jerking out of Dick’s grip. “I know what you did. For…for me. I know what you did _for me_ , Grayson, and I am here to tell you that I don’t want it.”

Dick flashed a quick smile. “Sorry, kiddo. But this was never about what you wanted.”

Damian’s lips pursed in fury. “Well, thanks to this stunt of yours, now it _will_ be.”

Damian instantly ducked around Dick, stomping right up to Lincoln March. Lincoln smiled, and mimicked Dick’s crouch in front of him. Dick wanted to rip Damian away from him and punch that grin off his motherfucking face.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?” Lincoln asked Damian condescendingly. Damian, for once, didn’t rise to the bait.

“I suppose I cannot ask you to go back to our original bargain?” Damian asked. “I’ll stay if you let Grayson remain free?”

Dick was already rushing across the room, but was stopped with just a few feet between them, by a few Talons and their weapons.

Lincoln had the audacity to look disappointed. “Unfortunately not, my dear boy. I’m sure you know the value of one Richard Grayson. After all, why would you sacrifice yourself for him otherwise?”

And even after knowing about it for days – and _fixing_ it, he thought – hearing what Damian did still made his soul hurt.

“I figured as much.” Damian nodded knowingly.

“And I’m afraid you have no leverage in the second deal. Isn’t much wiggle room in those negotiations, and even if there were, Richard holds all that power.” Lincoln cocked his head. “Though, if it’s any consolation, you must be worth something too, if Richard sacrificed himself for your wellbeing right back.”

“March,” Dick practically whined, pushing against the knives held against his chest. “Lincoln, please. Leave him be. He’s. He’s just a _kid_ , okay? He’s confused – please. Lincoln, please, just let him leave. Our deal still stands, but if you touch him, it won’t. Just let him go home.”

Damian ignored Dick’s outburst. “Would you be adverse to a third deal, then?”

Lincoln’s eyes widened, and Dick jumped forward so far the Talons had to grab his arms to hold him back.

“No. _No_.” Dick screeched, lurching as much as he could. “March, _Damian_ , don’t you dare. Don’t you _fucking dare._ ”

“…What did you have in mind?” Lincoln asked instead.

“You fucking-”

“Well, it’s not so much a deal as a proposition, perhaps.” Damian said slowly. He paused for a moment, turned back to look carefully at Dick, for just a second. He didn’t look sad, or nervous. He just looked. And then he turned back. “I work as your Talon as well.”

Now, the surprise on Lincoln’s face was genuine.

“Whatever you have Grayson do, I will do as well. Whatever morals he won’t break, I will.” Damian explained. “I…” He hesitated here. “I will keep him calm, and in line. The only… _one_ of the only reasons he’d ever try to defect is to check up on me, so. If I am here, he has no reason to leave.”

“…That does seem to be true.” Lincoln glanced up. “Doesn’t it, Richard?”

“Don’t.” Dick shouted. “Don’t do it, March. He has nothing to do with this. You wanted me, not him. That was the whole point of this. Let him walk out of here, or so help me-”

“And, Damian, tell me.” Lincoln still sounded like that doting uncle he would never be, not if Dick had anything to say about it. “Why would you offer such a proposal? After all, like you said, it’s not quite a deal. You get nothing out of it.”

Damian waited, and then glanced down sheepishly, and whispered: “I get enough, out of this.”

“…Still.” Lincoln hummed. “Why do this? You were home free.”

Damian kept his gaze lowered. His head bowed, like he was subservient, and it was _wrong_. “I assumed the _why_ was…obvious.”

“It was. I just wanted you to say it.” Lincoln’s tone was dripping with malice as he reached up with his own clawed hands to roughly pinch Damian’s cheek. He held the flesh between his fingertips as he looked up to the crowds lining the walls. “So? What say you all?”

“Say no.” Dick demanded. “Turn him down, all of you. Say no or I’ll-”

“Or you’ll…” Dick watched as Lincoln released Damian’s face, and slid those claws slowly down Damian’s jaw to wrap threateningly around Damian’s throat. “… _what_?”

Damian’s head was still bowed, and any confidence he had seemed to have drained out of him completely. He wouldn’t look at Lincoln. He wouldn’t look at Dick either. He wouldn’t look at anyone.

Lincoln gave him one more chance. “You’re sure you want this?”

Damian didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“…So?” Lincoln pushed, looking to the room. “What say we all?”

There was a pause, then a resounding: “Aye!”

“Very well.” Lincoln grinned. He moved his hand back up to cup Damian’s face, lifted his other hand to hold the opposite cheek, tilted it up and slowly pressed a kiss to Damian’s forehead. Dick watched as Damian twitched back in recoil, but could do nothing with the claws against his skin. Lincoln kept his lips there as he stood, releasing Damian only when he could loom over the child. “Welcome to the family, my dear nephew.”

Damian’s face dropped again when Lincoln released and walked around him, sauntering up to Dick.

“Two for the price of one. How _lucky_.” He purred, waving away the other Talons. Dick would have snap his neck right here, if the room wasn’t full, and all these monsters wouldn’t attack Damian first in retaliation. “We’ll leave you two to your reunion. A Court member will return when your room is ready. It was before, but. Somehow I have the feeling you two will be sharing, so we’ll need to rearrange.”

As soon as the other warriors were out of reach, Dick lashed out, grabbing Lincoln’s arm. “He isn’t out of my sight.” Dick hissed. “Not _ever_. Understood?”

“You act as if we didn’t watch the two of you while you were the bat and the bird. You two work better together, we know that quite well.” Lincoln laughed, yanking his arm away. “Come, everyone. Let’s give the _brothers_ their moment.”

Lincoln remained, staring mischievously into Dick’s eyes as the others slowly filed out around them. When most were gone, he smirked, and followed, just as quietly.

Dick watched them all go, disappear into the darkness of the hall. He waited a second, swallowed the lump in his throat, then turned to Damian. Damian was still looking at the ground, even as Dick walked quickly over to him. He didn’t look up when Dick dropped to his knees in front of him again, and didn’t get the chance to, before Dick dragged him into his arms.

“Damian-”

“When you didn’t come back after the fight, I searched through every single security camera Gotham has.” Damian’s voice cracked, but it was muffled against Dick’s shoulder. “I…I won’t let them have you, Grayson. I refuse.”

Damian shifted a little, and Dick took the sign to pull back, though held on to Damian’s arms. Damian’s eyes were misty, and Dick could already see light scratches from where Lincoln had pinched his face.

“Batman and Robin stick together, no matter what. And with Father’s amnesia, the title once again falls to you, even if you don’t wear it.” Damian explained. “Robin protects Batman. That is my job, and I intend to do it.”

Dick smiled, sadly. That wasn’t Robin’s job. Robin’s job has always been, and forever will be, to keep Batman out of the dark. And Dick had never said it – but Damian did an amazing job of that already. Amazing and then some.

“Just because you tried to override my deal with the Court does not mean you succeeded. It does not mean you have abolished my responsibilities.” Damian sniffed. “I told the Court I would remain loyal to keep you safe, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“Damian, it’s not that simple.” Dick tried.

“It is.” Damian countered. “I know you made the deal to keep me safe. Just as I know you will _only_ remain with the Court until you can ensure that safety. So, I will do the same. I will remain until I can find a way to get out you of here, and away from these monsters, too.”

And Dick knew enough about his brother to know he couldn’t talk him out of it, not at this point. “…Do Jason and Tim know?”

“I doubt it.” Damian shrugged. “They will probably believe I defected. That I finally decided on my mother’s way of life, and that I trapped you. But that’s fine. The less they know, the safer they’ll be, I imagine.”

Dick snorted a laugh, knowing it’d been a long time since either Jason or Tim believed in the supposed evil in their little brother, but let it slide. Damian might’ve had a point, after all, and at this point the others’ safety was paramount.

“…It won’t be easy.” Dick whispered. “This might be the toughest foe you and I have faced yet.”

“Nothing we do is ever easy, Grayson.” Damian countered. “But…at the very least, we will suffer together. And perhaps then, it won’t be so bad.”

“No.” Dick sighed, rubbing Damian’s arm. “No, it won’t be.”

Damian stared for a second, and then looked away. “I’m sorry, Grayson.” He breathed. “I’m sorry I put you in this position.”

“Only because I put you in it first.” Dick promised, reaching up to hold the side of Damian’s face. “…Thanks for loving me so much, kiddo.”

Damian instantly blushed, but when he looked up his eyes were still sad. “…I’m sorry you love me so much too.”

“What are you apologizing for? It’s my absolute _pleasure_ to.” Dick grinned, genuine now, as he scooped Damian up into his arms and stood. Damian folded into his embrace without complaint. He turned towards the door, and found a woman in a beautiful gown and white mask quietly waiting for him. “Now, come on. The plus side of this organization is they can get some pretty decent food. Kind of whatever you want. _However_ , their beds are like – _the_ most comfortable thing I’ve ever laid on, and I could sure use a nap, how about you?”

Damian, whose energy seemed to suddenly drain out of him completely, just slumped against Dick’s shoulder and nodded silently.

(Though Dick didn’t miss the feel of a few exhausted tears against his neck.)

“Good.” Dick hummed, as he walked out of the room. He diverted his path, just a little, to stomp his booted foot into the white mask Damian had brought in with him, before heading into the hallway himself. The woman just stared, before spinning away and taking the lead. And he waited a moment, before ducking his lips against Damian’s cheek, and whispering, “…I’m glad you’re here, Damian.”

Damian just nodded again.

“Thanks for coming back for me.” He continued, rubbing a gentle hand along Damian’s spine. “I don’t know if I would have lasted very long in here by myself.”

“Batman and Robin stick together.” Damian whispered. “Batman and Robin can never die.”

“And we won’t here, either.” Dick agreed. “We’ll get out of here, Damian, don’t you worry. And we’ll take down these shit baddies, in the meantime.” The woman turned to glance back at them with annoyance, and Dick just grinned. “The Court won’t know what hit them.”

And even when the woman bristled, even with the tears, even with the impeding doom and prisoner status and no promise that either of them would see their family again-

Dick felt Damian smile.


End file.
